Exposed by MoS: Serious loopholes in Humza’s vaccine passports scheme

Revellers get into clubs using friends’ security details ... then hand phone to others to use!

SERIOUS flaws in Scotland’s controversial vaccine passport scheme have been exposed in a Scottish Mail on Sunday investigation.

The phone app comes fully into force in just over a week and it is supposed to be a vital weapon against the spread of coronavirus. However, a probe by this newspaper has revealed how easily the system can be abused – just borrow someone else’s phone.

In an experiment carried out on Friday night, our investigators – all of them fully jabbed and carrying legitimate documentaallow tion – got into nightclubs using someone else’s vaccine passport.

Although staff checked the validity of passports at the door, the technology failed to check that they belonged to the right people. We were also able to use the same passport repeatedly to get more than one person into the same club.

From October 18, nightclubs and pubs across the country will face enforcement action if they permit anyone without the required app, or exemption documentation, from entering their premises. But Health Secretary Humza Yousaf’s scheme has been dogged by problems.

Last night, the Night Time Industry Association (NTIA) in Scotland – which has already failed in a legal bid to challenge the scheme – said that our experiment showed vaccine passports were ‘not fit for purpose’.

Donald MacLeod, a leading member of the NTIA and convener of Glasgow Licensing Board, said: ‘The whole thing is a shambles, the Scottish Government’s messaging has been appalling, and I would urge them to ditch this scheme now before it is too late.’

The launch of the Scottish Government app, on October 1, was mired in chaos as tens of thousands of people crashed the system trying to download it in the first 24 hours.

Ministers were forced to give clubs, pubs and large venues holding more than 10,000 people an extended grace period to allow for the public to obtain digital proof of their double-jab status, as well as to for adequate staff training for the QR scanning checks.

Our investigators, armed with valid Covid passport apps downloaded on their phones to prove they had been double-jabbed, tested a number of premises.

But at The Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh’s Old Town, one of the few businesses already trialling the new system, the flaws in the scheme were easily exploited.

No separate photo ID checks were carried out on the door, which would have matched the face to the name. Our team were able to gain entry by swapping phones and using vaccine passports that didn’t belong to them. Later, one of our investigators – using a phone with a QR code that had already been scanned by the club to allow entry to another individual – was able to beat the system by using it a second time to walk in unchallenged.

As well as flaws with the app, our probe also highlighted widespread confusion that the approaching deadline has caused among nightclubs, including the rejection of the passport app by one business, which wanted proof only of a negative lateral flow test.

Some clubs also displayed notices saying vaccine status would be checked before entry – then failed to do so – while others did not ask for the passports at all.

The Scottish Government has admitted the policy is aimed at pushing up vaccination rates, particularly in younger age groups, but many people claim it is a breach of human rights to exclude those who do not want the vaccine. The app, which the Government says is now being used by 530,544 people, requires photo authentication to be carried out against Government databases, such as a driving licence or UK passport, before it can be downloaded onto a smart phone.

But at the point of entry to a nightclub or pub, no picture of the holder shows up on the screen.

Mr MacLeod said: ‘It doesn’t surprise me that there are flaws to be exploited. I welcome The Scottish Mail on Sunday’s efforts to expose the difficulties we are facing.

‘Kids want to get in and they will do anything to do it. Our primary business is to ensure those coming into our clubs are safe and our staff are safe. We’ve always believed a

‘I would urge them to ditch this scheme now’ ‘No surprise there are flaws to be exploited’

vaccine passport doesn’t add to that.’ Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: ‘This highlights the SNP’s shambolic vaccine passport app in action. They have refused to listen to businesses and made it up as they went along.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We have allowed a grace period for the first two weeks of the scheme. We expect businesses to implement and test their approach to certification, and to prepare compliance plans, so they are fully prepared by October 18.’

A spokesman for The Banshee Labyrinth said: ‘If there are flaws in the system, we would rather know about them now than face a fine after it becomes enforceable.

‘We are grateful to The Mail on Sunday for bringing this to our attention.’